


Lamplight & Shooting Stars

by fragilevixen



Series: The "Todd" Files [2]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Canon Divergent, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Mild Smut, Post-Episode: s06e19 The Unnatural, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:55:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22852099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fragilevixen/pseuds/fragilevixen
Summary: It’s Spring-time in DC and spontaneous, mutually taken vacation time has become a personal mission of Mulder’s to surprise Scully with so much more than an escape from their norm—and the unseasonable, uncomfortable city heat.“There was a magic about the sea. People were drawn to it. People wanted to love by it, swim in it, play in it, look at it.” –Cecelia Ahern
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Series: The "Todd" Files [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1603447
Comments: 30
Kudos: 68
Collections: X-Files Fluff Fanfic Exchange (2020)





	1. Oceanside Haven

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Underworld_Vampires](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Underworld_Vampires/gifts).



> Note: I will be featuring a character that Cate should be excited for…Todd makes his brief return for the beginning of this one. He was necessary. I’ll link you to the fic that he made his ORIGINAL debut for clarity at the END of this fic.
> 
> Jen, I truly hope you love this one. I had quite a time thinking up a storyline that made sense given your prompt but one popped out at me that inspired something that took on a life of its own.
> 
> Disclaimer: Agent Scully, Agent Mulder, and Assistant Director Skinner belong respectively to Chris Carter, FOX Productions, and TenThirteen Productions. All other characters are original and any likeness or named similarities to any real-life persons are purely coincidental (unless, well, you’ve been told, then you should’ve expected such things and shouldn’t get upset over anything that happens to them, respectively)

_I am seeking,_

_I am striving,_

_I am in it with all my heart._

-Vincent van Gogh

Thursday, March 25th, 1999

9:15 PM

The Tune Inn

331 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC

Mulder already had his tie loosened and was wiping a layer of sweat from his brow as he pushed his way inside; the scent of hops, liquor, fried foods, and familiarity floating through the air like an intoxicated old friend that had gotten a little too close, far too quickly. Notes of rum and bourbon smacked him like an ex-girlfriend while the citrus and barley in the air had him recollecting moments in a London pub when he should have been studying. The air left his lungs in a loud, exasperated sigh as he felt a semblance of relief over the emptiness within the narrow yet comfortable space that had him nibbling at the corner of his lip. The music was halfway drowned out beneath the sounds of ESPN on every TV in the bar, but he could distinctly make out the lyrics of “Little Red Corvette” as he came to the edge of the bar just before the booths, toward the back, began. He slid his backside onto the swiveling seat and rolled his palms across the bar top, the chatter of an order going on in the back corner as he rubbed his knees against the wood.

Seven months of drinks, watching her drink, or nurse a drink, laughing entirely too loud at her jokes, her laughing at his bad ones…and Todd.

“Where is my favorite redhead?” Todd’s voice squeaked into a high-pitch squeal that had Mulder reeling as he turned to greet the ever-perfectly-coifed, flamboyant yet ruggedly dressed, gay man with his arms crossed and a towel between his fingers. “You better not have chased her off…I like her more than I like you and that says a lot.”

Mulder wrinkled his nose and let out a disgruntled laugh as he leaned against his elbows, dodging the damp towel as Todd swatted him with it. “Gee, thanks Todd…it’s nice to see you, too. No, I’m not sweating in places that I didn’t know had places. How are you?”

“You haven’t been in here for weeks with your hands all over my favorite redhead and now you expect me to be polite? I don’t think so,” Todd rolled his eyes and filled a shot glass with Espolòn Reposado, slid it in front of Mulder before moving to gather a soda cup for ice and water, his brow elevated toward the ceiling. “You have that look like you just got caught with your hand in a cookie jar—or nearly got caught. Do tell. You know I like a good intrigue.”

“Scully will be here in a few minutes, Todd,” Mulder knocked back the tequila and wrapped his fingers around the already formed condensation around the outside of the cup of ice water, letting the chill radiate through his fingers, up his hand. “We’re on vacation for the next six days and I made the comment that we should get away from the city for a few of those days.”

“You know…you’re the only person that drinks this, right?” Todd poured him another and wiggled the bottle at him, the amber colored liquid sloshing inside as he held it in front of Mulder’s face, the tenor in his voice elevating with every syllable in a piss-poor attempt to make him feel guilty over the extra expenditure. “A romantic getaway could be a good thing for you—better than having to tell you two to stop sucking face in one of my booths. No one wants to see that.”

“It’s better than that disgusting Cuervo Gold and Patron you keep trying to sling to the drunk college students. I can’t keep putting that shit in my body or I’ll end up making out with a toilet every time I drink it,” Mulder twisted the shot glass, studying it as the level balanced along the rim, barely staying inside as Todd stared him down like an expectative teacher waiting on an answer. “I have a really great idea for a surprise but I don’t know if she’ll go for it or find it the least bit thoughtful.”

“Ew…Are you going to be a typical guy and make it seem like the woman you’re with needs a grand gesture of love to get closer because I seem to remember a really cheesy batting lesson doing the trick not that long ago,” Todd made a noise as he elevated a straw to his lips, sipping the soda in his hand while peeking at the door as the hinge squeaked momentarily from a gust of wind that felt like a stroll past a blowing furnace. “I do not know about you but this random ninety-degree weather in March is disgusting and I am, literally, not a fan. I don’t like to sweat…ever.”

“Whiner,” Mulder muttered under his breath and licked a drop of his tequila off of his fingertip as Todd flipped him the bird before nearly flinging his glass onto the back of the bar near the register. “I found this secluded beach near St James that has one of the most amazing, starry night views and sunrise vantage points. It’s about an hour away—but it’s one hundred percent, bare bones, roughing it camping. I even have to bring my own firewood.”

“Oh my God, I love camping!” Todd wiggled his eyebrows at Mulder and half-danced along the rubber mat, nearly making Mulder choke on his glass of water.

“You’re not going with us, Todd,” Mulder shook his head and elevated the shot glass, compelled to feel that burn as he drank it in one, quick motion and winced in Todd’s general direction. “I mean, do you actually think she’d go for it or would it just be one of those, hum-drum, bullshit ideas I come up with?”

Todd rubbed his goatee, glancing up at the twinkling string lights that hung like a canopy about three feet from the ceiling until his smile curved from ear to ear. “Picture it—tent set up in the trees, fire going in the sand as the waves come up along the shore, a cozy little blanket and pillows nearby so you can stare up at the stars. I’d say that’s what nearly every woman wants.”

The idea was really good, almost too good, as Mulder silently nodded while staring toward the seating at the bay window, watching passersby as they held hands along the sidewalk. The sight made his nostrils flare at the mere idea of Scully’s delicate hand folded carefully within his own, openly swaying in the night air. It was a fantasy that was seemingly unattainable even as he inhaled another breath and stared forward. The truth of it was that in the seven months since stumbling into an impromptu rendezvous with Scully in this very spot, the word ‘relationship’ had gone completely secretive, to the point that they had to steal a moment behind closed doors at every turn. Their clandestineness had begun to unravel something they’d fought to uncover and it had put a serious damper on their ability to enjoy each other’s company.

“Come on, Todd, does that sound like a vacation that Scully would like?” Mulder was already picturing their toes in the sand, the dancing firelight, and waking up to sunrises that look more like one of those paint by numbers. “I don’t really know how she felt about the batting lesson.”

“She went home with you that night, didn’t she?” Todd had a Cheshire cat grin perched on his lips behind his soda cup as he took a sip, wiggling his eyebrows at Mulder as he shifted his weight from the left foot over to the right. “I’d be putty in your hands if you took me camping.”

“For the last time, Todd, you’re not going!” Mulder swallowed a mouthful of water down the wrong pipe as he pushed his palm to his chest and grunted while Todd started laughing.

“Not going where?” Scully’s voice sent every hair along the back of Mulder’s neck sticking straight up as he turned his head to see her standing in the aisle, her coat slung across a shoulder with the strap of her bag sliding down.

“Now it’s a party!” Todd flung both arms in the air and nearly splattered his drink all over as he celebrated Scully’s overly quiet entrance into the bar. “Sit, sit, sit…”

Scully plopped her bag, purse, and coat onto an adjacent stool before steering herself into the one next to Mulder, casually squeezing his thigh until the action elicited a groan from him. “You are never ever, and I emphasize ever, allowed to leave more than ten minutes before me...ever again. Okay? Okay.”

“That can’t be good,” Mulder grappled with quelling a budding erection as Scully’s fingers lingered along the space above his knee, loosely rubbing before pulling back to fish a cube of ice from a freshly laid cup in front of her. “What happened?”

“Skinner tried to rope me into last-minute paperwork and a discussion on the intricacies of finishing signatures. The irony is that most of the empty spots were meant for him,” Scully ran the cube along the nape of her neck and cooed, giving no care to the sound she made as the first drop of water ran down her back. “Luckily…Arlene and her massive crush on the bald wonder rescued me from another thirty minutes of him ranting like a crazy person. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he instantly melted into a pile of mush right there on the floor, when she touched his arm.”

“She needs a drink,” Todd stood in front of them, nodding emphatically as he managed to capture Scully’s attention. “Tequila, bourbon, or do you want beer this time?”

Scully smirked and opened her palm, the dripping of wet fingers after killing off the ice cube making Mulder chuckle as she leaned back, perspiration visible on her forehead. “I’ll go with whatever Mulder is drinking—and judging from the glass? Looks like he chose tequila?”

“Can’t go wrong with it when Todd went and bought the good stuff, Scully,” Mulder was milking the shot in front of him as the telltale first wave of tipsiness was nipping at his tongue, making him tingly across the surface of his skin. “It’s hot in here.”

“Careful, Todd,” Scully was scrutinizing the pour of her own drink with a crooked smirk along the edges of her lips, the tone of her voice low and without an ounce of irony. “I just might get the idea that you’re trying to make Mulder fall in love with you.”

“What? Couldn’t handle the competition?” Todd snorted and pushed the delicate glass between her fingers, wiggling his eyebrows at her like he might’ve contemplated that exact thought a time or three until he caught Mulder scowling in the corner of his eye. “Oh, please, don’t act like I’m not spectacular, Special Agent _Fox_ Mulder.”

Scully’s laugh was a beacon and a rare occurrence that tapped into the knotted part of Mulder’s stomach that was grappling with worry and fear over asking her the simplest of things—like spending a couple of days in a tent with him, in the middle of nowhere. He felt like an idiot over even second guessing the opportunity to sweep her off her feet. It wasn’t as though she had ever presented herself as the kind of woman to hate the great outdoors; it didn’t count when it was a case and he knew it, deep down. Mulder audibly groaned and finished the drops of tequila residing in the bottom of his shot glass before delivering a look to her that sent a chill down her spine that nearly rattled the glass away from her lips. There was a good amount of satisfaction in taking her off-kilter as he pressed his lips together and raised the water glass, letting the cool liquid pass between the tiniest of gaps.

“You have that look on your face like you’re about to say or do something that might cause Skinner to rip his eyebrows off so he can be bald from the brow line up,” Scully’s nose wrinkled as she let the tequila burn her throat and nostrils, chasing it with a swallow of water.

“That just inspired the most haunting mental imagery,” Mulder chuckled and tilted his head, making a face as he consumed another mouthful of water.

“Come on, out with it,” Scully crossed her legs and aimed her knees toward him while sliding her fingers around his forearm to gaze up at him. “Todd, he should tell me what he’s up to, shouldn’t he?”

“Yeah, Mulder, tell the feistiest redhead exactly what you’re concocting in that brain of yours, don’t dilly-dally,” Todd poured Scully another shot of tequila while prodding the conversation forward, thoroughly enjoying watching Mulder squirm as a pair of steel blues implored him to confess.

“Getting ganged up on was not on my short list of plans tonight,” Mulder scrambled for the words and evaded her wickedly adorable expression from behind the water glass as he raised it up to his lips, the dry mouth overcoming him. “You both suck.”

“There’s a spectacular joke in there but I’m just going to leave it hovering in the air like a nasty, juicy fart,” Todd knew they wouldn’t be staying much longer tonight if Mulder managed to get the gumption to ask Scully to take that vacation time away from DC, with him. “So? Calling it a night?”

Mulder appreciated the slick opportunity from their exuberant bartender, as he refilled water glasses for both of them and took the empty shot glasses away. “Yeah—that might be a good idea.”

“I just got here and you already want to rush me off to a hot apartment to start vacation time?” Scully watched Mulder’s bottom lip twitch as he waited for the check while wiping her fingers along the condensation on her water glass. “What are you ruminating over, Mulder?”

“We should both get out of here,” Mulder pulled enough money from his wallet to generously tip Todd as he snuck a tender, necessary kiss from her as she leaned against the bar. “You go pack a bag that can get you through four days, bring your boots, a pillow or three, and leave everything fancy at home. I’ll pick you up in the morning…bright and early.”

“How early are we talking?” Scully fished for his tie and held it, giving the material a gentle tug as she scooted to the edge of her seat.

“I’ll be there by nine-thirty,” Mulder let his mouth graze hers, smirking at the necessary tease as he let her pull the tie a couple inches more.

Todd flung a towel, smacking Mulder in the cheek with the wet material of the bar rag, the scold in full swing. “Hey, you two, stop making out in my bar!”

_Don’t wait any longer._

_Dive in the ocean,_

_Leave and let the sea be you._

-Rumi

Friday March 26th, 1999

9:30 AM

Outside Scully’s apartment Complex

Georgetown, Washington, DC

“Wow, you’ve been busy,” Scully pulled a hefty suitcase down the steps and a couple of pillows under her arm, toward a well-filled SUV pulled along the sidewalk, a curious look on her face as she put her sunglasses along the top of her head. “I hope I packed appropriately.”

“I’ve been awake since five making the preparations,” Mulder took the suitcase from her and pushed it into the backseat, maneuvering it on top of his own in the process, layering the pillows on top of it. “I looked like an absolute idiot going to four different stores to accomplish the task…and yeah, as long as you packed like you’re dressed, you should be fine.”

“Four stores? Jesus,” Scully bit her lip as he opened the passenger door for her, his chivalrous act on display as one of her neighbors came up with one of their little dogs to gawk. “Should I be scared? Worried?”

“None of the above, watch your fingers and toes,” Mulder closed the door soundly and went around the other side, scooting into the driver’s seat while Scully craned her neck to peek into the mountain of items in back. “You’re worse than a kid, Scully.”

“Am I really not supposed to look when you have the back of your rental stacked high with an, overabundance of…stuff?” Scully sighed and fastened her seatbelt, glancing at him as he pulled into the street with a boyish grin on his face. “Mulder…”

“Five days, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, to somewhere comfortable, away from every bald man with glasses to give us a sideways glance…far from the ‘stop making out in my bar’ that guys named Todd like to say,” Mulder turned at the end of the street, his poetic tantalizing of the obscure details making the redhead next to him roll her eyes.

“I smell firewood and nylon blends,” Scully had a spark of childishness creeping in as she inhaled a deep breath and wrinkled her nose, earning a chuckle from Mulder in the process. “Come on, where are we going!?”

“Why don’t you pick a radio station and reach for that perfectly mixed coffee in the center console with the steam still rising, piping hot, just for you,” Mulder indicated one of the two coffee cups in the center console, in one of the cup holders with her initials across the lid. “Then enjoy the drive and my off-key, louder than necessary singing along the way.”

Scully picked up the to-go cup and took a sip, looking over in his direction, hoping he could see the stare in his peripheral as she squinted over the top of the rim. “You’re taking this vacation to a whole new level of extreme that has me wondering when you’re going to spring the wild goose chase on me.”

“Not this time,” Mulder pulled his own from the rounded out holder and took a generous sip as they pulled up to a light that led to the freeway. “Scout’s honor.”

“I guess I’m just going to have to go with it?” Scully reached for the volume knob, twisting it until the melody could be heard, filling the cabin with a song on one of the easy listening stations in DC.

The words became clearer, more vivid, as the lyrics had Mulder tapping on the steering wheel and humming along to Melissa Etheridge. He was being completely serious and unapologetic about every tone that came from his lips as he continued the lyrics, poorly executing the next line in “Come to my window” as he flipped the turn signal on while Scully did her best not to choke on the coffee. It was endearing yet embarrassing to witness, as he stumbled over the refrain, not knowing every line with clarity but the notes he was hitting, could make the nearest dog howl. It made her laugh, in spite of the attempt to stifle the nose.

“Just to reach you! Just to reach you! Oh, to reach you!” Mulder knew how bad he sounded as he purposely hit every sharp and flat in his register, much to Scully’s chagrin as she buried a laugh in her cup.

“You’re something else, Mulder,” Scully wiped a streak of coffee off of her chin and smirked in his direction.

She didn’t know where they were going, but she knew it was going to be a very long drive.

_You write to the sky, it blushes crimson._

_I chase starlight,_

_For some stories are better off lived._

-Subiya Hussain

11:30 AM

Unknown Address on Shipwreck Way

Dameron, MD

“You can go ahead and say it now,” Mulder was officially boasting as he pulled into the spot along a clearing, the beach in full view along with a well-made, designated fire pit just feet from the tree line where they had parked. “You’ve been trying the whole way here.”

“No wonder I smelled firewood and nylon,” Scully bit down on her bottom lip, grinning as she stared at the horizon through the thicket. “Are we really going to camp for five days on the beach?”

“I have been thinking about something that you’d like and kept coming back to this,” Mulder unbuckled, angling his chin at the windshield as soft waves whirred against the shore. “I did a little research and found this spot.”

“I love it,” Scully reached for his wrist, giving him a light squeeze to capture his attention as she pressed her lips together. “I really do—couldn’t have asked for more. I haven’t been camping in so long. Used to love it and just haven’t had a real chance to go for years.”

“After the multiple stores, purchasing a lot more than I thought I would, and getting strange looks from every clerk that rang me up,” Mulder was fumbling with his words as he opened the back of the SUV, exposing just how wild he had gone on his shopping trip. “I’d certainly hope you like it.”

Scully went to the back, standing next to him and smirked at the stacked gear pushed into the cargo space. “Holy shit…you really _are_ a boy scout.”

“Don’t make fun of me, Scully, I got carried away and spent more money than I thought I would,” Mulder pulled the tarp and tent free, propping them along his thigh as he gave her a dirty look, the guilt written across his face. “I think it was worth it.”

“Did you pack one sleeping bag or two?” Scully pulled the tarp from across his leg and winked at him as she started down the path toward a semi-secluded clearing above the fire pit. “Is this the spot?”

“I bought two but you do this trick where you unzip them and then, zip them together,” Mulder followed her with his eyebrows wiggling in her general direction as he came up to meet her near the clearing. “Yeah, this is the place for the tent; just close enough to watch a sunrise, just far enough it won’t catch fire.”

“A trick is an awfully loose definition of that particular word,” Scully rolled the tarp out and unfurled the surface to fit a decent sized tent before instinctively tucking her hair behind her ears. “This is really unexpected and thoughtful, right down to all the trouble you went through to get us here.”

“I wanted to give you a vacation that would be worthy of being remembered,” Mulder had the tent pulled from the zippered bag, still rolled up like a taquito as he gazed at her for a long moment. “Something that both of us would want to remember.”

Scully wasn’t going to say it out loud that she would’ve been content ordering takeout and renting movies while they locked themselves away in one of their respective apartments. She just wanted time to be in his presence with no other interruptions except a knock at the door from a pizza delivery boy. The gesture meant something that she couldn’t quite describe, even as they struggled to put up a brand new tent for the first time, right down to the stakes that held it in place. Mulder had taken the time to really plan everything out, down to the details of zipping together sleeping bags so they could act like teenagers once they went to bed at night. It had her interest piqued with curiosity as she took a quick gawk at him while he pulled more gear from the back of the rental and set it off to one side. Scully came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist to squeeze him and slip her fingers across his palms, siphoning a bit of his body heat.

“Hi,” Mulder peeked at her as she leaned against his arm, the bedding underneath of his wrists.

“Hey,” Scully smiled and tapped the top of the sleeping bags. “Want me to get that?”

“Sure,” Mulder chuckled as he realized they’d barely begun to pull apart the gear from the back as he put the tips of his fingers on the edge of a couple of camp chairs. “I’ll start pulling the heavy stuff while you do that?”

“Sounds good to me,” Scully was already reaching for the bedding, studying his face like she was seeing something in his eyes for the first time.

There was something natural and oddly comfortable about setting up the campsite together as Scully took the rolled cushion and sleeping bags from his hands before disappearing toward the tent. Mulder didn’t know if he had overthought the trip, but the light in her eyes was worth it as he pulled the tied stacks of firewood from the bottom of the cargo space and began the task of transferring them to the massive log near the fire pit. Mulder’s eyes wanted more of that glimmer as he tilted his head toward the tent and watched the Scully-like precision as she spread the sturdy, yet pleasant feeling mat across the interior of the tent. Scully cocked her head and caught a longing smirk as she held zippered ends of the undone sleeping bags between her index fingers.

“What horny teenager gave you the idea to zip these together?” Scully zipped one side of both in a singular, fluid motion as Mulder dropped the last of four bundles of wood near the pit, his chuckle loud as he straightened his back.

“That would be me,” Mulder kicked the toe of his boot across the top layer of sand and cleared his throat as he fiddled with the rainfly as it jutted out in the center above the doorway. “I’m the…horny teenager that thought that up. I know I didn’t create it but no one suggested it for this trip.”

Scully sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and continued the same action with the other side, the clashing colors of the sleeping bags barely evident as she started to slide them across the queen-sized cushion. “Oh, well it’s a clever option and no one has to wish for it to start raining sleeping bags this time.”

Mulder tripped over his own two feet, nearly taking a tumble into the freshly stacked firewood as the comment did a once over on his already open mental processes, sparking an ember that had been lying in wait as a nervous laugh left his mouth. “I’m gonna…just…go get the ice chest…try not to fall on my face or break one of my…appendages.”

“Okay, Mulder, I’ll be right here, just making the bed,” Scully giggled quietly as she listened to him muttering to himself as he disappeared up the path to the rental, knowing that she had inspired a level of anxiety in the man that had been romancing her for the better part of a year. “Do you need my help?”

Mulder made a sound from the back end of the SUV that could only be described as a grunt as a thud of plastic on plastic drew her out of the tent. “…Yeah? I’m close to done but…maybe you could get the luggage?”

Scully came around the corner to see him hoisting a large, plastic bin and the ice chest in one of his clumsier motions, already halfway to the ground as she helped him to meet a solid plane before he lost balance again. “You don’t have to set all of this up alone, Mulder—let me help.”

“After this, the only awkward stuff to get is the suitcases,” Mulder indicated a nearly empty SUV as he gathered the plastic bin in his arms and started off down the path toward the tent.

“Well, wait, what’s in the box?” Scully spotted a non-descript shipping box that had been sealed up with packing tape as she climbed up on the edge of the cargo area to reach for a suitcase. “Mulder?”

“Oh, that’s just something I forgot to take inside before I started packing, don’t worry about it,” Mulder came back empty-handed and bent down to gather up the ice chest as Scully pulled both of their packed bags free. “I brought extra pillows, too, if you want them.”

“It’s a good thing that tent isn’t tiny,” Scully followed him toward their picturesque, beach campsite and slid the gear inside while Mulder arranged everything close to the tent. “…Might not have had much room for either of us in there, otherwise.”

Mulder had retrieved the extra pillows and a few loose odds and ends, discarding most of them into the tent as Scully stepped into the dip in the sand. “I could use one favor if you really want to help me out, Scully?”

“Absolutely, I’m all ears,” Scully pushed everything into place and stood up straight, standing below the canopy of trees between the tent and fire pit.

“I brought the firewood and paper but I didn’t get a couple handfuls of kindling in the shopping trip,” Mulder had that smile that made Scully weak in the knees as he pulled the zipper on the tent up, closing the door in a quick motion. “Could you gather up a stack to last us a few days and mornings while I put out the chairs and make sure I didn’t leave anything in the rental?”

“Sure, that’s an easy task,” Scully nodded and gave the front of his shirt the gentlest of tugs, arching onto her toes to place a light, loving kiss on his lips. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be here,” Mulder watched her petite figure disappear into the trees before addressing the taped box in the back of the utility vehicle, cutting the flaps open with his pocketknife to reveal the contents to the air, as a little wisp of a smile crept across his face. “These are going to be…perfect.”


	2. Casting Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The seaside campout continues and Mulder’s romantic surprise unfolds before the sun can set on a beachside scene for Scully.
> 
> “We are all broken, that’s how the light gets in.” –Ernest Hemingway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***There be a little taste of smut here***
> 
> Jen, I truly hope that the not-strictly-fluff is okay. I get like a deer caught in the headlights over things like these. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Agent Scully, Agent Mulder, and Assistant Director Skinner belong respectively to Chris Carter, FOX Productions, and TenThirteen Productions. All other characters are original and any likeness or named similarities to any real-life persons are purely coincidental (unless, well, you’ve been told, then you should’ve expected such things and shouldn’t get upset over anything that happens to them, respectively)

_Love’s radiant oil_

_Never stops searching_

_For a lamp in which_

_To burn._

-Rumi

30 Minutes Later

“It took a little longer than I was expecting because every piece of wood that I stumbled upon was either too big or wet,” Scully’s voice carried from around the side of the SUV as she came back, both arms full of thin twigs and decent sized sticks, not fully paying attention until she came to the edge of the path at the top of the divide that met the sand. “Oh…Mulder…”

“I wanted to find a way to buy a little time and that was the best way to do it,” Mulder was standing between a freshly started fire and semi-circle of oil lamps, that hadn’t been lit yet, that lay around a thick canvas drop and two blankets held in place by thick stones. “I didn’t want to set this up until tonight but wouldn’t have known how to do it without you seeing what I was doing.”

Scully was quiet as she pushed the pile next to the stacked firewood, the blush forming along the apples of her cheeks toward her ears while she took in the sight as it all became more apparent in front of her. Scully thought back on a time when anyone went to such lengths to do something special for her—only to draw nothing more than a blank as her past seemed incomparable to this. Mulder wasn’t just raising the bar; he was creating a new one that no other would ever meet. Not that she wanted anyone to try. She never imagined that he would be the kind of man to really be in touch with the grander side of romance but here she was and there he stood, with his fingers twiddling behind his back as he watched her soak it all in.

Every little second of planning became worth it as he saw that glimmer in her eyes as their gazes met and hovered, flames dancing between them.

“Mulder this is—perfect,” Scully was fidgeting in her own right as she slid her fingers along the belt loops of her jeans and meandered around the fire pit, nibbling on the corner of her bottom lip. “How long have you been planning all this out?”

“Not long, but longer than you might think,” Mulder knew how long he’d been contemplating it and his visually oriented mind simply did the rest as he realized how much it meant. “I was walking through the department store and I saw these lamps—and thought back to the Apollo Eleven keychain. The speech that I should’ve given you about why I chose that gift.”

Scully eclipsed the distance between them, sliding her arms around his waist to embrace him, looking up at him from below his chin. “I thought it was _just_ a pretty cool keychain, Mulder.”

“It might’ve been a little more than a pretty cool keychain,” Mulder laid a kiss to the center of her forehead and rubbed the center of her back as he smirked down at her. “It was a lot more than a keychain.”

“Are you going to elaborate on that or are you going to just tease it like you’re dangling a cube a cheese in front of a mouse?” Scully liked the sound of the waves as they met the shoreline as she blinked and felt the breeze against the back of her neck.

Mulder just wanted to hold her and live in this moment as his eyes caught a flash of the sun as it glimmered across the surface of waves off in the distance. His lips lingered along her hairline, the sweet scent of her shampoo wafting into the air to mingle with the salty air. They hadn’t gotten a lot of time to live in a moment and experience the ticking of time as an observer and ease up on the gas pedal of their non-stop, hectic lives. Both had become strangers to the concept of relaxation as they stood at the center of an oasis of their own design, readiness pulling at their consciousness as they glanced at the lulling ripple of foam disappeared into the blue. It was idyllic and everything that they could’ve hoped for—and desperately needed as the mutual sigh reverberated between them.

“I’ll hold onto that little tidbit of information until I can light each and every one of those lamps,” Mulder had that secretive grin as he reluctantly broke their embrace and went to stoke the fire, glancing back at her as he moved the logs around within the pit. “When we can stare up at a sky full of stars.”

“Really trying to hit this one out of the park, aren’t you?” Scully knew how much he’d appreciate the metaphor as she stood between the downward beam of sunlight and the glow of the fire, feeling the heat against her skin.

Mulder slowly blinked, angling his chin up as that dreamy gaze disarmed her and intensified a craving to disappear in that tent for the next five days, without making a single apology. “I want to give you something worth remembering.”

“That sounds…loaded,” Scully swallowed a laugh and bit down on the swell of her bottom lip as she watched Mulder move toward the cooler, reaching into the massive container for two bottles of beer. “Oh, look at that…”

“It’s five o’clock somewhere,” Mulder popped the caps free and extended one toward Scully, the joy creeping to the surface as his backside sank into one of the lounge chairs to give a longing glance at the sea. “Five nights of you, marshmallows roasting over an open flame, and plenty of refreshments to put in the cooler…I have a little bit of extra stuff in the SUV if we start to run out of anything.”

“Are you expecting to have a rager, Mulder?” Scully took a swig of her beer and found the second chair, crossing her legs as she got comfortable just outside of the immediate vicinity of the heat. “Should I be looking over my shoulder for the arrival of a troupe of coeds or worse…the Gunmen?”

Mulder chuckled into his beer and shook his head, rolling his eyes at the prospect of Frohike catching Scully with more than a few drinks in her system. “It’s a dangerous prospect of an idea to even fathom the fantasy that Melvin Frohike would be experiencing if he showed up and witnessed you having a few beers.”

“He’d be wondering where the tinfoil is so he could make sure he hadn’t fallen into a parallel universe,” Scully held the bottle between her palms, from the neck, quietly contemplating the muted tranquility as the logs started to pop through a pocket of pitch.

“I could tell you so many stories about a drunken Frohike…some of which I’d prefer to forget,” Mulder breathed the salty air and angled his head back, staring up at the canopy of branches as light streamed through the patches of leaves. “You know how he likes his cheap bourbon and when he’s had a few too many, suddenly, he thinks he’s Elvis. Significantly worse than me on a road trip.”

“I’d pay to see Frohike karaoke,” Scully giggled as she caught a sideways glance from Mulder as he brought the bottle to his lips. “From a distance…”

Mulder stretched his limbs, letting his knees pop as he made eye contact with Scully as she sat just feet away, just as comfortable as he. “I didn’t think they’d survive without their gadgets but all three of them are a fan of going out into the woods and howling at the moon like wild men…even Byers.”

“Stranger things have happened,” Scully let her toes push forward and feet cross at the ankles as she took another sip, smiling across the curve of the bottle.

“Are you sure you’re cool with this being the way we spend our vacation?” Mulder was usually better at reading her but there was trepidation buried in his voice even as she dangled a hand closer to the fire, soaking in the warmth. “We can pack this entire site up at any time and find a hotel or a cabin, anything with more amenities so we’re not roughing it quite so much.”

“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend five days than secure, here, at a private beach with you,” Scully had a little smile hiding on her lips as she gazed at him, her voice softening as she listened to the waves crash against a fallen tree fifty yards away. “Right down to the roasting of marshmallows—I hope you brought the graham crackers and chocolate bars because you can’t have big, hot, puffy marshmallows without those.”

“A boy scout never forgets the accoutrements for camping,” Mulder had her laughing in a heartbeat, her eyes twinkling as she stifled the sound with another drink of her beer. “I love that sound…you know that?”

“What sound?” Scully tossed a twig into the pit and watched the green as it sizzled, the creeping flash of yellow and orange dancing in the center.

“Your laugh,” Mulder winked and propped his feet against a mossy rock, reclining just a little more as he heard the soft, still stifled hum from inside of her mouth.

Scully beamed from behind the neck of her bottle, blushing despite the familiarity of a compliment from Mulder. “Well, if I keep it up with the beer…you’ll probably hear a lot more where that came from.”

“Isn’t that what a vacation is for?” Mulder could feel every muscle softening, the tension washing away much like the sliding tide as he let the back of the chair cradle his head. “Vegetating and indulging in little more creature comforts than one would typically allow themselves to in a normal day?”

Mulder tried to think back on the last time that he’d had more than a beer or two, for any other reason than alleviating stress or forgetting about something that he had said or done. It had been a long time—probably too long. At the back of his mind, he wanted to trust in the conclusion that Scully’s life had led her down a similar path as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. Giving credence to a selfish notion wasn’t a habit that Mulder liked to adopt when it came to Scully but he couldn’t help it as he secretly imagined a night or six that a she hid her emotions in a couple glasses of cabernet. It was that same selfish ideal that kept him awake at night wondering why he had waited so long to breach the subject of being in love with her.

“You’re awfully far away, Mulder,” Scully captured his attention and seared a trail through his soul with another one of those signature smirks as she rolled her index fingers down the side of the bottle. “What are you thinking about?”

“I am thinking about the bringing to fruition of a night full of stars and a path of lanterns to cast our own shadows,” Mulder pressed his lips together and gazed at her, the downward beam of light markedly highlighting the softness of his hazel eyes as his lashes sheltered the flicker.

Scully’s hair moved in the breeze and her steel blues shined as the flames swirled. “You are like a flower, Mulder, and you seem to unfold in the moonlight.”

_He looked at me like I was the stars_

_When all I’d ever felt like was the dark_

_Nothingness between them._

-Renata Suzuki

10:30 PM

Mulder was rummaging through the big tub of nonperishables and gear, tinkering around until he had a hanging lantern freed from the bottom, ready to posture from one of the low hanging branches in their site. Scully had discovered one of his gray hoodies, with an Oxford red logo across the front, and had already taken full ownership of it, down to slipping her hands into the pocket across the abdomen. He smirked at the sight of her practically swimming in it as she made a pleasant, happy groan from a still full belly and leaned back in the lounge chair. The hiss of the propane was soft and momentary as he lit the mantles and let the whole assembly gently rock in the breeze, adjusting the brightness of the glow until the door of the tent was in full view. It was perfect but it was only step one as his line of sight turned toward the blanket and darkened lamps pushed into the sand that were ready to illuminate the spot and cast so much more than luminosity across the surface of the sand.

“The button of my jeans is pushing into my stomach,” Scully stretched her legs, grunting as she tried to take the pressure off of her insides, the grin evident as she looked up at him. “I think I’ve gained five pounds from the cheeseburgers.”

“Everything tastes better when you have to dangle it over the fire to cook it, Scully,” Mulder smiled and dangled another beer in the air until he saw her nod in response, his own stomach full as he let out a silent burp and pressed a hand to his gut. “It’s probably a good thing I was saving the sweets for tomorrow night.”

“Yes, save the spearing of a marshmallow and holding it over the fire for tomorrow night,” Scully patted her belly as she slouched even further in the chair, the sounds of contentment getting a little louder as she fully immersed herself in the hoodie. “I’m going to need to go to the gym when we get back—I can’t believe I ate almost two of those cheeseburgers.”

“They weren’t that big,” Mulder let out a laugh and tossed another log onto the fire, before standing over the back of her chair, squeezing her shoulders affectionately. “I made them _Scully-sized_ just for you.”

Scully let out a half-suppressed laugh and postured her feet along a rock as her backside neared the edge of the chair. “Doesn’t explain why I managed to put away more than one plus the barbecue chips…and a pickle.”

“I mean, who can resist a sliced, kosher dill?” Mulder wandered over to the lanterns, his voice carrying as he knelt to begin the task of lighting each one, stealing a glance at her after every lamp started to glow. “I almost don’t want that hoodie back.”

“Why not? It’s so cozy,” Scully pried herself out of the chair, exhaling loudly as she utilized a thin, trimmed piece of wood to stoke the fire, stirring around the ample amount of wood and embers until the flames licked a little higher toward the sky.

“It looks better on you than it ever has on me,” Mulder lit the final lamp and pushed the edge of the blanket with the toe of his boot, straightening out the surface area as he looked out at the water. “I knew it was going to be an incredible view but I wasn’t anticipating that we’d still be able to see the white caps all the way out there.”

“How long has it been since you really got to spend time on the beach, Mulder?” Scully walked the long way around the little piece of heaven he had constructed, casting a shadow against the trees as she came up to meet his waiting arms.

Mulder slipped his fingers into the front pocket of the hoodie, lacing with hers as he pulled her to his chest, letting her lean into him. “Since I was able to enjoy it? Too long, far too long…your fingers are cold.”

“So are yours,” Scully arched onto her toes and placed a kiss along the curve of his jaw, brushing her cheek along the first appearance of his five o’clock shadow. “Do I get to test out this comfortable spot or are you going to make me stand here for a little while longer?”

“Please do,” Mulder tilted his head to the side, gesturing toward the pillows at the top center of the blanket as he removed his hands from the pocket right along with hers. “That’s what it’s there for and it’s been calling my name for an hour.”

Scully didn’t hesitate with the offer as she knelt and crawled onto the soft material, pivoting around until her backside was against the blanket and her feet were just at the edge. “This really is nice, Mulder…I’m impressed.”

Mulder stretched his legs out as he scooted onto the spot next to her while she tugged off her boots and socks, leaving them side by side on the length of canvas under the blanket. “I’m glad you’re impressed but your feet are going to freeze… and those cute, little toes are going to become itty, bitty blocks of ice.”

“Well, they’re almost always cold so it wouldn’t change things all that much,” Scully leaned back and let her head nestle against one of the pillows, looking even smaller in Mulder’s hoodie as she drew her knees up, aiming them toward the sky. “I can always put my socks back on.”

Mulder was still sitting up with his head turned in her direction, bedroom eyes dreamily looming over her like he had been studying every curve. “They’re not _always_ cold.”

Scully bit down on her lip, heat flushing her cheeks as Mulder tilted back, lying in a similar pose as her except only one knee remained elevated. Everything slowed to a crawl as they finally felt the sand gently shift beneath them, under the blanket and canvas layer, with every minuscule move they made as the breeze wafted over their elevated limbs. It was quiet aside from occasional crackling of the fire, the distant collision of waves, and their slow, relaxed breaths as their fingers met in the eclipsing space between them. It was everything that Mulder had hoped it would be and everything that Scully needed as the mutual exhale preceded a soft smile toward the sky that could be seen in each other’s peripheral.

Giddy would be an accurate representation of their mood as electricity passed along the prints of their fingers, electrifying an already palpable moment that had been carefully, meticulously moving since the first ember began to glow.

“This is supposed to be a romantic moment and all, but my anally retentive mind just went into left field and had to checklist whether or not I packed toilet paper,” Mulder made her burst into a fit of giggles, complete with a snort at the end of the first breath as he licked his lips and grinned up at the sky. “Great timing, right?”

Scully was still in mid-laugh, the sleeve of the hoodie extended down past her fingers as she raised it to her mouth to stifle a second round of giggling. “The best timing and I can’t breathe.”

“We’re not supposed to be like an old, married, crotchety couple that skipped the flowers and butterflies of something new, something real,” Mulder’s comment came out of left field but it was the first reflective comment that he had made in a while as a thin, fluffy cloud moved across the sky, putting a damper on a small section of the constellation.

Scully turned her head, studying his profile as the lamplight danced against it, a nervous ache turning in her chest. “I don’t think it’s that simple, Mulder.”

“What does that mean?” Mulder tilted his chin, allowing both eyes to meet her gaze at a straighter angle as the crickets chirped in the distance.

“It means that the day I stepped into that basement, I no longer wanted a normal, typical life,” Scully chewed on the inside of her cheek and groped for his hand, squeezing his fingers as the stars twinkled in the corner of her eye. “I loved you before I even knew what it meant…and I fought it, but I kept coming right back to the only choice that mattered.”

“What was that?” Mulder asked even though it was leaning toward rhetorical, a hint of a smile curving along his lips.

“You,” Scully’s voice cracked as the pieces fell into place and the admission made its way to the surface. “I nearly lost you and when it took a night of angry, alcohol fueled confession to tell each other exactly where we stood…something snapped…it became real.”

“So what you’re saying is we’re not an old, crotchety couple that skipped over the fun parts?” Mulder teased and elbowed her in the side, redirecting his chin toward the sky, a grin lighting up his face.

“We’re on a beach, in an abnormally warm March, on a blanket, staring up at the stars,” Scully gestured toward the sky, waving her arm around before letting it fall to the warmth of the blanket. “I’d say that we’re right in the thick of the fun parts.”

“Why did it take us this long to elucidate any of this?” Mulder’s candor was appreciated as he earned a wide smile from Scully before he could fully ask the question.

“We are almost never alone and when we think we are…someone always steps in to show us just how wrong we are,” Scully glanced at him for just long enough to catch a glimpse of his eyes stealing another gaze as he put his left arm behind his head, propping up just a little more. “We’re here and I don’t see a better time than right now to put the cards on the table.”

Mulder went quiet, silently agreeing with her and reveling in the company of what it meant to be so close to her, to bear witness to her aura as it glowed and radiated like pure, white light. Scully hadn’t necessarily changed but his perception of the way in which her mind worked definitely had; leading them both down a winding path of exploration that had only strengthened their bond. Much like the sky above, it glowed and went undimmed. Mulder had contemplated the brightness of the lamplight being a deterrent for the vividness of the night sky but it almost enhanced it as they looked up at a brightly speckled display of twinkling stars in varying size and luminosity. Scully held a breath in as her eyes focused all over again with enough intensity that the dimensionality of color began to stand out—from white to blue to gold.

Mulder didn’t have quite the same grasp of color but he saw every single chroma in perfect focus within the irises of her eyes.

“I mentioned to you earlier about the keychain…” Mulder broke the stillness, licking his lips as the salt in the air wafted across his skin, parching him just enough.

“Okay, now, see, I’m very curious about that subject,” Scully slipped her free hand into the front pocket of the hoodie and scooted a little closer until his warmth emanated like a heater against her. “I’d always thought that my speculative comment back then was correct…but…”

“The first step into an unknown for the feet of man,” Mulder knew how to captivate and he already had her on pins and needles as he drew in a breath as his eyes located Polaris in the celestial sphere. “Seeing the possibilities unfold and reaching for the heavens, even if it was only to step onto the moon. You were partially right when you mentioned the pursuit of dreams and the partnership that was forged but there was something that I saw in your relentlessness to continue on in spite of the fight not being your own.”

“It _became_ mine,” Scully emphasized it as the expanse above gleamed like motionless fireflies while the hum of distant, breaking waves clashed with the crackling of their campfire. “I’m right here, beside you, through every second.”

“Buried somewhere, under the self-imposed agony and haphazard existence, I’ve known that I wouldn’t be able to do it alone,” Mulder propped himself up on his elbows, still fascinated with the endless wonder above them as he glanced down at her. “Even if I don’t always show it…or say it…I mean every word.”

“Hey,” Scully winked, smirking just a little as she shifted onto her side and pushed his ankle with the tips of her toes, wheedling a little chuckle from Mulder in the process. “Why don’t you come back to me for a little while?”

“That’s a hard request to say _no_ to,” Mulder had a wide smile as he obliged her, angling onto his arm as he maneuvered onto his side, toward her, just as a streak of lustrous, white light with a halo darted across the sky. “Make a wish, Scully.”

Scully caught the same glimpse of the shooting star, right along with him, in its brilliance as the air between them thinned to mere inches. “I don’t think need to—I have everything I could ever wish for, already.”

It was in that moment that Mulder realized that he hadn’t taken the time to notice the way moonlight complimented the tone of Scully’s skin. She might not have thought so, though, as every freckle took center stage and shined at him, like little markers of her genetics that made her so uniquely her. His thumb found the curve of her cheek and brushed along the space above her jaw, enthralled by her. Mulder was enchanted by a face that he’d gazed at a million times simply because it was hers. Their mutually held reverie awakened yearning, desire, and another depth of devotion that they’d only, just barely, begun to scratch the surface of. Another glimpse of a smile passed over Mulder as he leaned forward, extending his arm out as he reached for the first lamp to flick the switch until it had gone dark. He repeated the motion with every lamp behind her before sliding an arm around her, pulling her into an embrace, guiding her toward the remaining lights.

“What are we going to do about the fire?” Mulder steered her onto his lap, her legs around his hips while his fingers tugged along the nape of her neck, the smoldering of flames a good ten feet behind them.

Scully peered over his shoulder and let out a breathy gasp as his teeth grazed the space below her earlobe, squinting in the direction of the fire pit. “Just…push…the wood apart…and douse the other lantern.”

“Having a rough time getting that sentence out,” Mulder’s lips made a trail on the exposed sections of her neck, carefully avoiding contact with her mouth as his nose brushed painfully close to hers. “My bad.”

“There are so many things I could say to you right now but my head is swimming,” Scully’s fingers slid through his hair, pressing along his scalp while involuntarily leaning into the contact, eyes looking up at the canopy of glittering, celestial bodies. “How is it that you always know exactly how to push me completely off-kilter?”

“I need to have at least one skill that I can excel at,” Mulder finally met her waiting, open mouth and felt her melt against him like they had so many times before.

There was something different in it, as the salt in the breeze and the smoke in the air tickled the nostrils, that heightened the sensations surging through every nerve. Mulder had kissed Scully a hundred times but it was always under a veil of secrecy, something that they’d carefully conspired to hide; behind the comfort of a locked door or sheltered comfortably in a booth not far from the misguided eye of Todd, who only mocked the intimacy on display. This was a soundless proclamation; declared poetically with clasped hands and by lips that part only to osculate. Mulder held her tight, gracelessly and clumsily stood with her legs and arms wrapped around him, gripping her backside until her felt her lips unceremoniously pop free from his. Their gazes burned much like the embers in the fire as the sand gave with every step, tugging Mulder toward the tent’s zippered closure. Instinct directed his feet while eyes fought in the dark.

“I should, probably go get my socks and boots,” Scully felt the poly blend against her feet as he let her touch the inside of the tent, just feet from the comfortable mountain of pillows and blankets calling her name as she breathed in to gather her wits. “And I can help with the fire…”

“You…just…wait right there,” Mulder smirked and scrambled back to get her delicate socks and boots, bypassing a direct path to snuff out the lamp before swiping a stick across the embers to separate them. “Whoa, it’s darker than I thought it would be…”

“It’s brighter than you think—just have to give your eyes a second to adjust and you’ll be right here,” Scully could see the moon’s reflection in the layers of the ocean as she watched him move, waiting until he was closer to slip into the tent.

Scully’s porcelain skin stood out in the casting light from the pale, unyieldingly vivid moon as Mulder found her and lavished her with another deep, hard kiss that nearly knocked the rainfly free from the hooks. The wait had been more than worth it as Scully wrapped her fingers around the front of Mulder’s shirt and gave him a generous, downward tug, urging him to follow. Waiting wasn’t her strong suit and patience wasn’t his as their frenzied lip-lock imparted so much more than desire, so much more than a craving. They weren’t whole without the other and the boldness bubbled to the surface as the moonlight danced across the campsite. He let her lead and stumbled over the edge of the tent’s door as they dropped against the cushioned bedding with a muted thud. Scully barely gave Mulder more than a moment to turn and zip the screen shut as her backside met the top of the sleeping bag as she reached for his wrist to bring him back to her. He hovered over her, reveling in that touch for a moment longer before turning to give his boots and socks a quick yank and toss.

His unofficial, secret mantra to _go slow_ screamed in his head as he regarded this vision of a woman beneath him, right down to the persuasive squirming and fumbling with the closure on his belt, down to the tip of her tongue perched between her teeth.

“You are, so perfect,” Mulder couldn’t help himself while pulling at her hips until she was against his legs and the button of her jeans was popped free in a fluid motion. “I’m never going to let you forget it.”

Scully bit down on her lip as he peeled the pair of jeans off of her and tossed them onto the luggage, leaving her in shamelessly girly, lace-trimmed, plum panties and the hoodie. “I need you…all of you…right now.”

Mulder met Scully in the middle, like two waves crashing, and stifled a moan as his pants dragged past his hips with an assist from two, agile yet petite, thighs that were desperate to wrap around him again. The heat was already searing through the thin, silky material of her panties as he gave her the smallest of thrusts, agonizing himself in the process as his boxers and denim did no favors for the erection he was, just barely, half-holstering. The reminder, while unnecessary, had them reeling as the keening was equalized with her fingers dragging along his well-defined back muscles. Scully moaned into his mouth and set off the cataclysm of diffusing fever-like static electricity, lighting an invisible path in the dark. A bloom of desire opened as their eyes locked before she freed him of his shirt and rocked against his hard-on in spite of the fidgeting he was doing to get out of the jeans snugly corralled around his ankles. Scully bit down on her own lip and glanced down at the state of things, motioning desperately for him to remedy the situation, the muffled whimper reverberating against her teeth. There was a hint of a chuckle as he turned them inside out, sending them flying against the side of the tent wall where it could land, in a heap, on the edge of his open bags.

This wasn’t their norm, as it edged close to clumsy, into an unmarked place that neither of them had necessarily experienced before. They’d discovered so much about one another: how to love without limits, how to touch with an expert hand, how to please each other without saying a single word. This was different. This was raw, almost animalistic, and uncharted entirely, as Mulder coiled his fingers along the edge of his hoodie, slowly creeping it up Scully’s torso until his knuckles grazed already hardened nipples pushing through a thin tee-shirt and a bra. The yelp was loud and made both of them wince as wetness became a flood and a pair of boxers became a prison as nerves started to throb. Words went sailing into the unintelligible as the last pieces of clothing were shed and fluttered across the small space like paper airplanes.

They were emblazoned, shining in the moonlight, glimmering with sweat and marks left by trails of kisses as the puzzle pieces moved carefully into place as the night rolled on, to the rhythm of the spindrift kissing the horizon.

6:45 AM

The tent was a mess, down to the sideways shifting of their entire sleeping bag bed setup as their heads were closer to the door than they had been the night before. The salty air spritzed past, ushering out the fog layer as the dawn replaced the tide. The sun was peering over the horizon, gleaming along the calm of the sea as it gently rolled, puffing small breakers into the air as the tide tossed to and fro. Mulder was the first to stir as he felt the warm beam of light along the bridge of his nose and felt the softness of Scully’s fingers along his chest as he stared at the domed ceiling, quietly remembering and listening to her breathe. His eyes fell on her, at the tangle of red hair gathered along the bend in his arm as she scooted closer and let a sigh leave her lips as her lashes started to flutter.

“Can we just stay like this forever?” Scully broke the silence, her sleepy, ragged voice more than enough to perk his interest as he coiled his fingers around hers. “I could handle a life of no electricity, firelight, and sleeping bags.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Mulder chuckled and placed a kiss along her temple, allowing his lips to stay for a moment as they watched the light dance along the back wall of the tent, patterning the leaves of the trees. “At least we have four more nights to watch for more shooting stars…and four more sunrises to witness, if we want.”

“Sunrises and shooting stars,” Scully looked up at him and closed her eyes, exhaling slow. “It doesn’t get better than that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one became a bigger endeavor than I was expecting but I owe a huge thank you to Cate and Monika for the read-throughs on rough sections—and keeping me from losing the shreds of sanity that I have left. Smut always leaves me questioning myself, so I hope it doesn't come across as forced or unneeded...there was something beautiful in it.
> 
> Quotes by:  
> Ernest Hemingway  
> Rumi  
> Renata Suzuki
> 
> Referred to the episode: Max (Apollo 11 keychain)  
> There are subtle references to the fact that they are in the beginning stages of the IVF as well, they are between the lines...in the finer details. Most of the angst is simply on the fact that the show hid away so much of their affection, even though it would've been so beautiful to just, reveal it.
> 
> Jen! I hope you loved it!!!

**Author's Note:**

> As always, Cate and Monika, I would be up a creek without a paddle and ready for a loony bin. This has been such a journey. I hope it paid off.
> 
> Chapter Deets:
> 
> Quotes by:  
> Cecelia Ahern  
> Rumi (x2)  
> Subiya Hussain
> 
> Lyrics of "Come to my window" by Melissa Etheridge
> 
> If you want to read the previous fic that this mentions: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17103647


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